Extended Abstract
Hard chrome is a coating used on surfaces that require wear resistance, such as the sliding track of engine blocks. Studies correlating the chemical composition of the chrome plating bath with mechanical properties of the chrome layer are rarely explored but have high impact. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the effect of different parameters (temperature, current density, and catalyst) on the properties of hard chrome coatings obtained on an aluminum alloy. The specimen was subjected to surface pre-treatment and a miniaturized system of about 150 mL was used for chromium electrodeposition. The coatings were characterized for visual quality, thickness, Vickers hardness and linear crack density. The results obtained showed that the linear crack density is the property with the greatest sensitivity to the parameters studied, with the catalyst concentration being the parameter with the greatest influence on this property. The microhardness obtained in all tests was characteristic of hard chrome, showing no statistical difference for different parameters. The miniaturized electrodeposition system proved to be satisfactory and has potential application in studies for the evaluation of chrome plating parameters and hard chrome quality.
